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This book aims to build bridges to peace by spanning the fields of conflict resolution and traditional peace studies, and by facing the contending perspectives of academics and practitioners. It serves not only as a transdisciplinary introduction to the study of peace and conflict but as an intelligent and sensitive challenge to common understandings. Positive peace, conflict transformation, contemporary peacekeeping, non-violent action, peace education and the new peace movements are laid out for consideration and basic concepts and directions are covered. But more important is the critical evaluation of patterns and the plotting of alternative paths. As UNESCO promotes an International Year of the Culture of Peace (2000) and the United Nations sponsors a decade of peace culture (2000 to 2010), the essays in Patterns of Conflict, Paths to Peace represent an invaluable primer for anyone concerned to participate in such a culture.

In the 1980s much research into the needs of the elderly was undertaken from the perspective of a ‘sickness'model, a model which reinforced labels of elderly people as frail, disabled, dependent and economically unproductive. Few studies adopted a positive attitude to ageing and elderly people.Originally published in 1986, reissued here with a new preface, this book helped to redress this imbalance by focusing on the theme of independence, examined particularly from the perspective of current housing and social policies relating to elderly people at the time. The author looks at sheltered housing in detail, including discussion of alarm systems, ‘staying put'schemes and residential homes. The book was essential reading for academics and practitioners in the health and social welfare fields with a concern for the elderly and the ways in which they could retain a meaningful independence.